THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE DAYS

There are days when I feel light. No matter my size or weight, I feel light and strong and pretty and able to do just about anything. 


This is not one of those days.


In fact, I feel just the opposite. I can feel every single one of my pounds and one or two of them (especially the one I gained this week), I feel twice. My limbs feel heavy and hard to move. Even my head feels thick and slow. Now, months ago, I would have thought it was just a bad day, but I know what I've been up to.  And it doesn't rhyme with lurking trout.  And it definitely doesn't rhyme with fleeting fright. The way I feel today reminds me of a quote I like.

"The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison."      -Ann Wigmore-

I have had a great time this past week, though. We had my family reunion, here in Oregon. I feel so lucky that my mom, all of my siblings and their spouses took the time (and spent the money!) to get here. Only four of my nieces and nephews (+ 1 niece-in-law and 3 kiddos) were missing (darn kids grow up and get their own lives - what's that about?). We stayed in 6 of the deluxe cabins at Fort Stevens State Park and although the mosquitoes were hungry and fearless, I think it's safe to say that we enjoyed each other's company. The cabins are fantastic! It's absolutely my way to camp - with beds, flushing toilets, showers, screens on the windows, and a fire pit outside. Hard core, I'm not.

So here's a run down of my week:

• Worrying that I don't have enough food
• Shopping for more food
• Watching Lobster freak out about how much (food) needed to be in the car
• Joking that the axle would break under all the weight and then reassuring boy #1 for the next THREE HOURS that the axle would not break
• Massaging the neck of a driving Lobster that was more tense than any lobster should ever be
• Showing boys #1 & 2 how to make a S'MOreo
• Disappointing Lobster that I did not invent the S'MOreo and could not claim it on the internet as mine
• Sitting by the campfire and telling a spooky story (I'm a gonna getcha and then I'm gonna eatcha!) three times and then laughing at my boys as they reenact it.
• Watching a movie (yes, TVs and DVD players are in the cabins, too) with 2 boys too excited to go to sleep.
• Sending off all my guys for a much anticipated bike ride
• Dispensing first-aid to boy #2 after he crashed off his bike (10 minutes into said bike ride)
• Trying to keep 3 guys busy and make dinner for 25 people at the same time (thank you, Susan!)
• Greeting my family, letting them know where to go and realizing that the "welcome buckets" were not ready - DOH!
• Drinking WAY too much diet soda
• Eating WAY too much sugar and chips - mmmm....chips
• Laughing with my family
• Watching my boys run around with their cousins and loving every minute
• Cringing as I hear my boys teach their younger cousins how to do a "butt-bomb"
• Seeing my Utah and Arizona family brave the nippy Pacific ocean
• Enjoying yummy food made/bought by my siblings - SO GOOD!
• Sitting in a circle and playing with a candy "Tape Ball"  
• Being proud of my family while they so willingly serve by picking up trash off the beach while on their vacation
• Cleaning and packing up (a lot of extra food) and feeling sad to see my family drive off, one by one
• Feeling incredibly lucky to be part of my family - LOVE THEM!

So, yes, I'm feeling the effects of eating too much sugar, too much soda and not enough vegetables. I will begin, again, my healthier eating habits tomorrow. I am also feeling the effects of being with the people I love most. Though, my limbs and head seem thick and heavy, my heart is full and happy. And that's what is most important.